Control mechanism



July 3G, i946.

s. G. GREEN Erm. 2,404,958

CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 3l, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 l "v-"m v/'yv 1% u I i z s.; E

oI n) xo i f I :1mm/wow July 3o, 1946. s. G. GREEN ETAL f 2,404,958

CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Deo. 3l, 1943 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 W g l: :if-1,

r I I I 3mm/dow July 30 1946. s. G. GRI-:VEN rs1-AL 2,404,958

CONTROL MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 31, 1943 7 sheets-sheet s July 30, 1946. ,s.lG. GREEN ETAL CONTROL MECHANISM '7 Sheets-Shee; 4

Filed Dec. 5l, 1943 WRXVANNHH I Mm WK QN i Q EN @mv c. Q m m `QN av Awww sanft/Ex. G. GREEN, WAL ref? /z OZ/oE/v/VE, MAL/AM a. fe/NEL, WEBER a@ 44a/rf,

July 30, E946. s. G. GREEN ET AL 2,404,958

` CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 3l, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Juy 30, 1946. s. G. GREEN ETAL CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 31, 1943 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 7 Sheets-Sheet 'T S. G. GREEN ET AL CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 31 1943 Juy 30, 1946.

Patented July 30, 1946 CONTROL MECHANISM Samuel G. Green, Aiexandra, Va., and Walter H.

DArdenne,

Jenkintown Manor, William J.

Meinel, Huntingdon Valley, and Weber de Vore, Horsham Township, Montgomery County, Pa., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Heintz Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 31, 1943, Serial No. 516,520

4 Claims.

l This invention relates to gun control mechanism and more particularly to a novel firing control mechanism for a machine gun mount intended primarily for anti-aircraft use and employable at ease through 360 in traverse and at all angles from a depression 15 to an elevation It is a principal object of the invention to provide such a mount.

In the more modern and now conventional gun mechanisms for anti-aircraft use it has been necessary to employ shoulder braces and back supports for the gunner, for without such accessories the mounts could not be operated with any degree of efficiency. While this comprised an advantage in one sense, the use of such appendages possessed two principal disadvantages, First, of the recoil upon firing this was transmitted directly to the gunner, and secondly, the gunner was thus forced in operation to assume a squat ting and somewhat cramped position.

It is another principal object of this invention to obviate these disadvantages and the present mount is so constructed and arranged so that the gunner operates at all times from a standing position which results in greater freedom of action, faster operation and greater accuracy. Moreover, the arrangement makes possible the elimination of shoulder braces and back straps thus greatly reducing the amount of recoil shock transmitted to the gunner.

Still anoth`er object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel maneuvering and trigger operating mechanism.

The invention has for an important object the provision of a control mechanism of relatively simple and rugged construction, comprised of light Weight components adapted to large scale production and ready assembly.

These and other important objects of the invention Will become more apparent from the following description and claims When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of the invention showing a preferred form of the new control mechanism in place on a gun mount.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the cradle assembly.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the cradle assembly showing the opposited side.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the cradle assembly.

Figure 5 is a rear end elevation oi the cradle assembly.

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 5 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 'l-l' of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a gun mount showing another embodiment of the invention mounted thereon.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail of the trigger frame illustrated in Figure 9.

Figure ll is an end detail (partly in section) of the trigger frame shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line l2--l2 of Figure 10.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in Figures l through 8 in which is shown a vertical pedestal support or stand l adapted to support detachable legs 2 forming a tripod support. A trunnion bracket 3 is detachably secured to the upper end of the stand l. The upper portion of the stand l is mounted for rotary movement about the vertical axis of the stand so that trunnion bracket 3 is capable of movement in a horizontal plane over 360.

The upper end of the trunnion bracket 3 supports the cradle assembly 4 for pivoting movement in a vertical plane. The cradle assembly is adapted to carry a gun, such as a cal. .50 BrownS ing water-cooled machine gun 5 (shown in broken lines). The cradle assembly 4 and gun may be elevated from minus 15 to plus 90.

The cradle assembly 4 further includes a trigger frame, indicated generally by the reference numeral 6, a trigger side plate mechanism 'i adapted to be secured to the side of the gun 5, a recoil mechanism 8, and a spent ammunition link chute S. The cradle assembly 4 is adapted to detachably receive an ammunition chest l0 (shown in broken lines).

The trunnion bracket 3, at its base, is provided With means for detachably receiving a shield support Il carrying an armor plate shield l2 at its upper end.

A sighting assembly I3 is adapted to be supported by clamping means Ill to the forward end of the barrel of the gun 5.

The cradle assembly is comprised generally of two parallel spaced side plates 1|, 'l2 bolted in spaced relation by the blocks 13, 74.

The cradle side plate 12 carries an ammunition chest bracket 'l5 while the cradle side plate 1l supports the ammunition link chute S.

The rear portion of the cradle plate 'H carries the trigger plate assembly T6 connected by a rod 16' to a trigger operating system which is carried by the tubular trigger frame 6 bolted to the side plates 1|, '|2.

The tubular trigger frame 6 is comprised of two endless tubular members 11, 18, disposed in upright parallel planes (and each of which is bolted to a cradle side plate), and a tubular Uinstead of tubing. Moreover, the trigger handle grips `2|5 have sproket Wheels 2|`| on their inner rear cross support 18.

Each of the members 18 is provided with a series of brackets 19, 19' respectively,V for sup-` porting the operating handle grips 80. The handle grips 80 supported by the brackets '|19 carried by the tubular member 11 are supported simply by a bolt and nuts as clearly shown in Fig. 7 which isa cross sectionthrough one of the handle grip supports.

The handle grips 80 carried by the brackets 1'9 rigid with the other tubular member 'I8 are mounted as shown in Fig. 8 which is 'a cross. section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig, 3. Re-

ferring tov Fig. v8 it will be noted-that these brackets 19' have a transverse opening provided with a sleeve 8|. Mounted in veach sleeve for rotation therein is a crank 82 adapted to be turned by the handle grip,V 00. The handle grip s The lowermost crank 82' isprovided with two arms (as a bell crank), one of which is pivotally secured to the connecting member 85 and the other of which is pivotally connected to the rod 'I6'. No handle need be provided for the bracket carrying this crank. A simple spring pressed locking member 86' (Fig. 6) is provided for the purpose of keeping the trigger from iiring accidentally. Y A

In operation the handle grips carried by both of the tubular members 18 are-grasped by the gunner who can thus move the cradle (and gun) both in elevation or in traverse. Because of this arrangement the gunner-may thus direct the gunv entirely from a standing position since when the gun is elevated and the tubular trigger frame is depressed, it is only necessary for the gunner to grasp a pair of handle grips disposed higher up on the tubular trigger frame 6.

Through the connecting member 86 any one of the handle grips on the gunners left will lire the gun when the grip is turned. The action is somewhat similar to that of the handle grip throttle control on a motorcycle. Turning a handle grip will rotate the bell crank 82 thus drawing the rod 16 of the trigger control mechanism 'i5 which res the gun.

The forward part of the tubular trigger frame 6 is adapted to carry a small armor plate shield 81 which may be removably bolted thereto as seen for example in Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

Modified form Figs. 9 through l2 disclose a modied form of the invention having some features in common with the embodiment heretofore described.

With reference to Fig. 9, it will be noted that the amount, like that already described, is provided With a pedestal support 20|, legs 202, a

4 trunnion bracket 203, a cradle assembly 204 and a trigger frame 205 on the rear of the cradle assembly by which the gun 24| can be maneuvered and red. ,y

In theY modied form of theY invention, the frame is somewhat similar to that heretofore disclosed, except that it is made of bar stock ends, these sproket wheels being connected by an endless sproket chain 2|8. The frame 205 in this instance includes braces 2|9, 220 each provided with avsproket wheel 2|'|, 2|-'|, respectively, over which the chain also passes. Sproket wheel 2|1" is connected with an element 22| provided with a lug 222 adapted to be connected by a rod `223 to the trigger release mech- 'anism of the gun. Fig. 12 is a section through arrangement lmay be made without departing from the inventivev concepts which are onlyjto be limited to the extent defined in the following claims.

We claim: l. In a gun mount, a standard, a cradle assembly supported on said standard for horizontal and vertical pivoting movement, a trigger frame carried by the rear end of said cradle assembly, a series of spaced operating handles carried by said trigger frame and disposed in diiierenthori- Zontal planes, means for actuating the trigger mechanism of a gun carried by said cradle assembly, and means connecting said last named means with said operating handles.

2. In a gun mount to be operated from a standing position and embodying a standard and gun cradle means supported on said standard for horizontal and vertical pivoting movement, a trigger frame assembly secured to said cradle means, said triggerframe comprisingsa pair of spaced frame members disposed in parallel vertical planes and extending rearwardly and then upwardly and forwardly, a series of spacedv handles disposed on each of said frame members and extending laterally therefrom, means for mounting the series of handles on one of said frame members for turning movement, mechanism connecting said mounting means, said mechanism being so constructed and arranged that turning of any one handle will actuate said connecting mechanism, and trigger actuating means associated with said connecting mechanism.

3. In an anti-aircraft, gun mount to be operated at all times from a standing position and embodying a standard and gun cradle means supported on said standard for horizontaland vertical pivoting movement, a trigger frame assembly secured t0 said cradle means, said trigger frame comprising a pair or spaced frame members disposed in parallel vertical planes and extending rearwardly and then upwardly and forwardly, a series of spaced handles disposed on each of said frame members and extending laterally therefrom, means for mounting the series 0f handles on one of said frame members for turning movement, mechanism connecting said mounting means, said mechanism being so constructed and arranged that turning of any one handle will actuate said connecting mechanism, and trigger actuating means associated with said connecting mechanism, said connecting mechanism including a connecting element pivoted to each handle mounting means.

4. In an anti-aircraft gun mount to be operated at all times from a standing position and embodying a standard and gun cradle means supported on said standard for horizontal and vertical pivoting movement, a trigger frame assembly secured to said cradle means, said trigger frame comprising a pair of spaced frame members disposed n parallel vertical planes and extending rearwardly and then upwardly and forwardly, a 

